From the Outside Looking In
by pumpkinborg
Summary: Thea Amos is a 17 year old girl moving to Forks, Washington. In her first few weeks at school she meets Seth Clearwater. And it's her aquaintance with him that gets her pulled into a war that puts her, and all those she has grown to love, in danger.


**Okay. For anyone who was reading my other story, mending, then it is taking a break at the moment. It was going to a very dark place in my mind, and I have decided that until it is brighter it will be on hiatus. This on the other hand will be a lot brighter for a while! So Enjoy!**

**Oh and before I forget to be patronizing and warn you, I am not the owner of twilight. I would quite like to, but I don't. Go figure.**

**THIS WILL INCLUDE ALL OUR FAVOURITE CHARACTERS SOON. It just needs a little introduction.**

My name is Cynthia Louise Amos, but I usually answer to Thea. In fact, if you called me Cynthia I would probably do you physical harm, possibly with permanent damage.

All my life I have lived in Streatham, London, England, but due to my parents oh-so-busy careers I have been packed off to live with my Great Aunt Lena in Forks, Washington, North America.

I am currently on my British Airways flight from London to Washington. I am so tired that I can't even remember the names of the airports I am travelling between and I am having a tough time even imagining myself anywhere other than England. And yet, I am very excited to be going somewhere else. A new start would be handy.

***

I was met at the airport by Great Aunt Lena, who started the meeting with a motherly embrace and the sentence, "My! Haven't you grown Cynthia!"

I gritted my teeth, "Oh Aunty! Call me Thea!"

"Only if you stop calling me 'Aunty' dear. It makes one feel dreadfully old." To be fair, great aunt Lena isn't actually that old. She is my grandmother's very youngest sister, so she is not that much older than my mother. She is one of those people who are slightly off centre and she wears her long brown and silver hair in a long plait or in a large bun at the nape of her neck and bright, colourful clothes covered in handmade beads that shimmer and jingle when she walks. And her most important thing of all is that she is loving and compassionate to everyone. She is a very beautiful person whom I have loved dearly all my life. I was heartbroken when she moved from her old home in Edinburgh a few years ago to live in the rainiest place on the continental U.S.

When we walked into the car park I had a moment of dread. Aunt Lena had a most awful history with cars. And then I saw it. The strangest car I had ever seen. It seemed to be some sort of mutant car, but not a hybrid in a Toyota Prius saving the world way. I examined it more closely as we got nearer. Oh. My. God. It was a Rollswagon. A bright shining honest to God glinting in the bright summer sun Rollswagon. Covered in shiny silver swirls. Thank the lord I was going to buy myself a new car the second I was near a dealership.

"Do you like it?" Aunt Lena had a hopeful expression on her face.

"Yeah. It's really pretty."

"Well congratulations! It's yours!"

"Wow!" Oh my dear lord. What was I going to do now? I owned a silver wind decorated Rollswagon. My life here was over before it even began.

She walked me over to the car and got in the drivers' seat. "Now, Thea dear, I know you have had lessons from what your parents told me, but we wouldn't want you to be doing anything illegal, so I'll drive for now." Well, duh. I hadn't expected to be driving so soon. But at least now I wouldn't have to save up anymore. I had enough money for lessons already in my car fund. "The police chief is such a nice man. You'll probably meet him soon enough. He likes to meet new people, make them feel more welcome. He started doing it when his daughter moved here, she had some problems fitting in at first, and he wanted to help other people. Welcome to small town America Thea! Where everybody knows everyone else."

"Oh good."

"And you start school on Monday. Now, even though we technically live outside the Quileute reservation, you will going to school there. Much better appreciation of nature." She was sending me to a school based on their percieved appreciation of nature? Oh well. It's her choice. If it teaches, I will attend. Compulsorily I might add. Friggin' high leaving age. Why 18? Why? I would have stayed anyway, but I would have liked to have the choice.

"Cool. Should be fun. Loving the trees."

"And Thea, try to make some new friends."

***

I woke up next morning to sunlight shining through the window in my room. When I say window, I mean see-through wall. It seems Lena is a fan of light. And, amazingly, trees. Two of my walls are taken up with a huge montage of the natural world. It was beautiful, but out of place. Today was my first full day in America. And, thank God, it was a Saturday. Two days before school. I spent most of the morning in bed and got up around noon. I spent some time unpacking and was just settling down to listen to some music when I heard aunt Lena calling.

"Thea! Sherriff Swan is here to meet you!"

I started on the stairs and was greeted by the sight of a police cruiser through the window halfway down. When I hit the bottom, I had no problem finding the living room. The wonder of open planning.

"Come on in Thea." Said Lena. "Sit down."

I sat down across from Chief Swan, and at right angles to aunt Lena.

We had a pleasant chat. I learned all about Forks and the Quileute Reservation, and about Chief Swan's daughter who lived nearby in the Res. Apparently she wasn't much older than me when she came here from Arizona. And he talked about wild animals. It was going to be an interesting time.

**Right. I know that this chapter was a little short, but it is the beginning. I would very much appreciate reviews. Cutting the crap, I love reviews and crave them like my own personal brand of heroin. Yes, that's right, I quoted. So review. It is a beautiful thing to do, and will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.**

**Love and Hugs (to reviewers)**

pumpkinborg


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